Tobacco-wagon



(No Model.)

I M. F. 0. OBRIEN.

TOBACCO WAGON.

No. 447,546. Patented Mar. 3,- .1891.

NTTED STATES PATENT FFICEE MICHAEL E. O. OBRIEN, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

TOBACCO-WAGON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 447,546, dated March 3, 1891.

Application filed August 2| 1890. Serial No. 360.760- (No model.) I

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, MICHAEL F. C. OBRIEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Louisville, in the county of J etferson and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hand Tobacco \VagonsorTrucks; andI do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact-description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to hand-trucks; and it-consists in the novel arrangement of and combination of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

Its object is to provide a strong hand-truck for conveniently loading, unloading, and carrying heavy casks, and hogsheads, and especially tobacco-hogsheads.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of my truck as it appears when holding its load. Fig. 2 is a similar view showingit as it appearswhen unloading.

Similarletters referto similar parts throughout.

A is the axle-bed.

a a are the axles.

B B are bolsters.

a a are the wheels.

B B are perches bolted to the bottom of the bolsters in sockets of a depth corresponding to their thickness. As the front bolster rests on the axle-bed in order to make the front of the truck higher than the rear for convenience in loading, the perches are bent angularly, as shown, so that their ends may be parallel and rest evenly against the bolsters. To each bolster are bolted on each side at its middle part standards 0, rising above the bolsters. Passing through these standards above the bolsters are tie-bolts c, on each of which are hinged loosely two curved bed-pieces 0, extending laterally in opposite directions above the bolsters, as shown. Their concave sides are uppermost, and the two pieces together form beds, one on the front and the other on' the rear gear of the truck, for the hogsheads or casks. At their outer ends those bed-pieces are supported by stirrups, as will be hereinafter described.

On each side of the truck above-the perches are two rectangular weight-bars D, on each of which is slipped and firmly keyed near the rear bolster a balance-weight cl. These weight-bars pass through round holes in the bolsters that are large enough to allow them afree rolling motion. On each end of the weight-bars are slipped and firmly keyed two stirrup-standards D, one in front of the bolster and one in rear of it, and connected near their tops by a bolt d, passing through both above the bolster, as shown. This bolt furnishes a support for the outer ends of the hinged bed-pieces O, forming the load-seats, as above set forth. On the outer ends of the weight bars, projecting through the front bolster and outside the stirrup-standards D, just described, are fitted dogs or latches d which when the truck is loaded or in position to receive its load rest on a seat 6, projecting horizontally from the bottom of the bolster, and which may be made integral with the standard O on the front of the bolster. These dogs are held in that position by a key or catch E, hanging from the outer end of the tie-bolt c, which catch has a projecting pedal e adapted to be moved conveniently by the foot.

Fig. 1 shows the position of the load-seat in my truck when I wish to put a hogshead on it, which I do by backing the lower rear .end

of the truck against the hogshead and then pulling the hogshead over on the truck.

Then I desire to unload a hogshead, I put the load-seat in the position shown in Fig. 2 and roll the hogshead off the side of the truck. I do this by pushing the catch E to one side, thereby freeing the dog d on the opposite side. When this is done, the weight of the load depresses the bed-piece on the side on which the dog is f eed, flattening the supporting stirrup on that side down to the bolster, turning 'the weight-rod and lifting the weight d on that side, as shown. As soon as the hogshead is rolled off and the seat is relieved of its load, the balance-weight d falls back to its normal position, erecting by force of its weight the stirrup-standards and lifting the seat-piece O and letting the dog d fall back to its rest 011 the seat 6, when the catch E is pushed back to a vertical po sition over it and'holds it secure, as before.

The weights (Z are adjusted on the weightbars D at such an angle that when there is no load on the truck the dogs will rest naturally in their seats. hen the truck is loaded, they are held there by the catch E.

F is the truck-tongue, and f f are the tongue-holders.

Instead of weights, as shown, I may use springs to throw the bed-pieces back in place, the essential feature of my invention being the load-bed hinged in the center with suitable means for supporting, lowering, and raising its outer ends.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. A hand-truck for hauling hogsheads, having, in combination, an axle-bed resting on the front axle, with a bolster above it, a bolster on the rear axle. perches angularly bent, connecting one bolster with the other on each side of the truck, standards bolted to the front and rear of each bolster and rising above it and connected by tic'bolts, on each of which are hinged two curved bars forming a concave load-seat above each bolster, rectangular weight-bars on each side of the truck, passing through the bolsters, and having on each of them between the bolsters a balance-weight, and also having keyed on each one of them, in front and rear of each bolster, stirrup-standards connected at top by a stirrup-bolt adapted to serve as rests for the outer ends of the hinged loadseats, said weight-rods also having keyed on them in front of the frontbolster, outside the stirrupstandards, dogs adapted to rest on a seat projecting horizontally from the bottom of said bolster and to be held in place by a catch hinged at its upper end on the bolt on which the curved seat-pieces are hinged, which catch has a pedal projecting from its lower part, substantially as set forth, and for the purpose specified.

2. In a truck for hogsheads, the combination, with two angular Weight-rods D, having keyed on them between the front and rear bolsters of the truck balance-weights d and in front and rear of each bolster stirrupstandards D, rising above the bolsters and held together at the top by the stirrup tiebolt-s d, and 011 the outside of the stirrupstandards, in front of the front bolster, dogs (Z of the standards 0, the tie-bolts c, the curved seat-pieces C, hinged on the bolt 0 at their inner end and adapted to rest on the stirrup tie-bolts 1 toward their outer end, the catch E, having the pedal e, and the dogseat 6, substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

3. In a truck for hogsheads, a load-seat above the axle, consisting of two curved pieces 0, hinged at their inner ends, in combination with means for supporting, lowering, and fixing the outer ends at pleasure, for the pur-' pose specified, and substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof Iafiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MICHAEL F. O. OBRIEN. Witnesses:

FANNIE KENNEDY, (l. C. TAYLOR. 

